Electric safety and alarm system for railroads.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908 H. D. WILLIAMS M. LEONARD. ELECTRIC SAFETY AND ALARM SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS,

APPLICATION FILED APR.1B. 1907.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. H. D. WILLIAMS &YM.,-,LEIONA RD. ELECTRIC SAFETY AND ALARM SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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iinrrnn snares earner .QFltWQE HERBERT D. WILLIAMS AND MARCUS LEONARD, OF VERMI'LLION, KANSAS; SAID LEONARD A SSIGNOR TO SAID WILLIAMS.

ELECTRIC SAFETY AND ALARM SYSTEM FOR RAILBOADS.

s ecification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed April 18, 1907. Serial No. 368,969.

sively installed, which will entail a small cost for maintenance, and which will be thoroughly efficient in operation, so that collisions,

whether head on or rear end, Will. be positively avoided.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the use of automatic pole changing devices heretofore used in systems of this character where separate batteries were carried upon the vehicles traveling on the line. In systems of this kind unless the batteries are ofrelatively different strengths, they neutralize each other to such an extent that the operation of either one is doubtful. Where automatic pole changing devices are employed, accidents sometimes result from their failure to properly operate to place the batteriesin series with their unlike poles together so that the combined strength of both will be suflicient-to operate the air or other emergency braking devices.

Our invention-is designed to obviate all difliculties and broadly speaking consists in providing a battery or batteries located at diiferent points along the route which will operate in combination with alarming devices and electrically controlled braking devices to give an alarm to the engineer and toautomatically cut off the steam or allow the escape of'the air sothat the emergency brakes'may be applied. Provision is also made whereby in case of a-runaway train or the failure of the engineer to-seea danger signal, the station masteror any other anthorized person at a given. point may throw a switch to complete the circuit of the alarm and the electrically controlled braking device so as to stop the train.

Our invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein Fi ure 1 is a dia rammatic view shown it: v p 1 the two stations with tracKs between and a connecting rail having taps carried oii to brush rails. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the cab connections and circuits.

Referring now to Fig. 1, 1 and 2 represent the track rails which extend between the stations A and B, this length of track being described herein as a single block, itbeing understood that the block might be of any length desired. Between the stations and preferably between the tracks are located a plurality of brush contact rails 3 having leads A led off U therefrom to a common linewire 5 extending between the stations and terminating at contact points 6 and 7 of switches 8 and 9 respectively at stations A and B. At each station, A and B, the levers 10 of the switches 8 and 9 are connected directly with batteries B, B, so that if the levers are thrown upon the contact points6 and 7, current may be thereby thrown upon the line 5 and to all of the brush contact rails 3 in par allel. If there is no car o'n the track, however, the circuit is not completed and there is no current flowing over the line, but when the brush of a car engages one of the brush contact rails, a circuitthrough its operating device and alarm is completed, as will be hereinafter described. At each station A and B there is provided a magnet 11 which has one side of its winding grounded at Gand which controls an armature 12 provided with projecting lugs or lips 13and 14: adapted to hold the contact arm 15 in depressed position until the magnet is energized. The armature 12 at station A is electrically continuous throughout its length to its pivot point or to its connection with wire 40, but the armature 12 at station E is separated by a dielectric so thatthe wires 38 and 41 which are connected with difierent parts thereof are electrically separate. Pivotally secured adjacent the track and the arm 15 at each end of the block is a trip lever 16 which is provided with a cam face bearing against the arm 15. A contact arm carried by the car engages the upper end of the trip lever carrying'it over so as to depress the arm 15 and force it under the first ug or lip 13 where it remains until the magnet is energized and the arm 15 is released.

On the opposite side: of the track is asimilar trip lever 17 controlling the contact arm 18, which is normally held away from the contact 19 but which is adapted'to operate in the same manner as the trip. lever 16 to close -he contact arm 18 against the contact 19 and complete a circuit over the wires 20 and -21 t0- the magnet 11 and ground; .from battery B 'at station A or B at station B over wires23, 24, 25, magnet 11 and ground at G. In Fig. 2 we have shown the wheels of a cab grounded u on the rails, and designated by the numerals 26. Carried by the truck 27 is a contact brush 28 which is adapted to -engage: the brush contact rails 3 as the car passes along. Connected to the contact rush 28 is a Wire 29 which is in turn connect- -ed t o a magnet 30, and in'p-arallel to the bell '31 by a Wire 32. The opposite side of the bell is connected by Wire 33 to the opposite side of the magnet 3O. A circuit is completed to' one of the wheels '26 and the ground by wire 34 l'eadng from the opposite side of the magnet to which the Wire 29 is connected. The armatur e 35 of themagnetfS'O is connected by. a rod '36 to a'valvc controlling the; air of the bra 'es, or to anysort of braking devices, the constructions of which are not material to the working of this invention and are therefore not illustrated. v

The operation of theJsystem-so far as thus described is as follows: When a train-air proaches in the direction of the arrow X, its contactarm engages the tripping lever 16 and throws the contact arm 15 into engagement with the latching armature 12. At this time no current passes into the line 5.

But should a train approach in the opposite direction or in the direction of the arrow Y,

its contact arnrwouldengage the tripping lever 16; at the station B or at that entrance,

to'the block, and throw the contact 15 into engagement with the latching armature.

This completes a circuit from battery B as follows: 37, 15', 38, 39,} contact arm 15 at station A, 40,'wire 5'and' to all of the contact brush rails 3. .Thetrain coming .in the direction of the arrow X will have its circuit completed 'i'romtlie contact brush rail 3, wire 29, magnet 30, wire 34, wheel 26, rail 1, ground 1 and back .'to battery. From the point .70, the point of connection. of the wire 29 and the winding'of the magnet 30, a parallel path through the bell 31 is made over wires 32 and 33 back to the point'of connection y. The result is that the magnet 30 is operated to attractvits armature and operate through the rod 36 the air valve or the brake mechan-" lsm and at the same time the hell 31-not1hes train approaching in the opposite direction.

As the circuits of all trains are siniilia-r, it is unnecessary to state that the train a p preaching in the direction oi'thc arrow is stopped 1n the same manner as the train a )p'roaching .-n1to blocks. ol contact str ps located ad Jaccnt from the opposite direction. l" however there is no train upon the block, .110 current will flow on the line. and theoperation ol' the tripping leverlti will not. all'cct the Tree runping lever'is at station '13) batteryB, wire 23, contact 19,]c0ntact arm 18; 24, 21' nagnet' 11' y and ground. This 'magnet' thereupon draws up'its latching armatpre,ntlius.relas ing the contact-arm -15',whi li is'returned to its normal position in any suitable manner. The operation just describ 'd,-'that of release ing the trip )ing magnet 11, is the same at all stations; f a runaway train passes either station or if. the engineer should disregard a danger signal thereat, the station master can throw the switch lever 10 into contact with either the contact points (tor 7 andthus throw currentfromeither battery B or B cver the line wire 5 and thus througl'iwthe leads 4 to all of the contact strips Althoughwe have. shown the most simple form in which to accomplish a certain object, we do not wish to be limited in any way thereto,- as many changes and modificatio: s might be made without departing from tll sco e of the invention, and all such changes anr modifications are contemplated by us and are considered within thef urview of the appended claims. l

v Having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1., An electric safety system c omprisi'ng block sections, vehicles traveling thereover, electromagnetic braking and. alarming means thereon, means for' automatically partially completing the circuit of said electromagnetic braking and alarming means on: a. vehicle whencntering a block; and means becoming operative on the entrance of anothervehicle in the block to fully com )letethe circuits of 'the electromagnetic bralring and alarming means for both vehicles.

291a an, electric safety system for railroads, the combination with grounded track rails divided into block sections, of contact strips located-adjacent said rails,'electromagnetic braking. and alarming means carriedby the vehiclcs'traveling over said rails, means .forpartially completing a circuit .oi'. the electromagl'ietic bra ring and-alarming means of the vehicle first entering the block, means for fullycom )letin'g'the circuits'of' the electromagnetic hraliing and alarmingmeans u 'on the entrance of second train into the b ock, and ,mcans becoming operative upon the exit of either train-from the block to break the circuits.

,3. In an electrical bination withgrounded .traclc railsdivided thereto. elcct'romagnetic braking and alarmmg means carried by vehicles adapted to travel over said rails, contact brushes adapted to engage said contact strips and carried by the vehicles, means operated by the vehicle first entering the block for partially clos-' the circuit of its electromagnetic braking and alarming means, and means operated upon the exit of said vehicle from the block torestore said circuit completing means to normal.

alarming-means carried by vehicles adapted to vtravel over'said rails, circuit connections for said electromagnetic braking and alarm ing means, means operated in the travel of a vehicle to partially complete the circuits for said electromagnetic braking and alarming means, and a tripping lever for completingv circuit of said electromagnetic braking and alarming means which is operated as the vehicle leaves the block.

5. [In an-electric safety system, the -com bination with grounded track rails divided into blocks electromagnetic braking and alarming means carried byvehic'l'es traveling over said rails, circuit-connections for said electromagnetic braking and alarming means,

a tripping lever operated by the vehicle for partially completingthe circuits thereof upon a the entrance of said vehicle into the bloc tripping lever operated by the entrance of a second vehicle'lnto the .block for fullycoinpleting the circuits of the electromagnetic braking and alarming means on both vehicles electromagnetic releasing means for said circompleting means, and means controlled by the exit of the vehicle from the block for sperating said electromagneticreleasing means.

. 6. In an electric safety system, the combination withtrac-k r'ails divided into blocks, cf tripping levers at either end of the blocks controlled by the vehicles moving over said "rails, circuits controlled by said tripping levers and disconnecting means for sa d ic re cults cont-rolled byone of said tripping leers.. v 7. In anelectric safety system, the combination with track rails divided into block .tures in presence of two witnesses.

sections, of a pair of tripping levers one at each. end of the block, 'vehlcles traveling over said ra'il's having means for o crating said.

tripping levers, jmeans "contro led by. said tripping levers for closing electric circuits, "another pair of tripping levers one. at each said end of the block, means controlled by the last-mentioned tripping levers, and electromagnetic controllm and alarming means carried'by the vehic es andoverned by the making and breaking of the aloove mentioned circuits and the position of'the vehicles upon the blocks.

8. In an electric safety system, the combination with a pair of track rails divided into block sections, of a line extending the length of the block, contact strips located adjacent the'rails and having electric connection with the line, a circuit controlling device for completing the circuit to said contact strips,

said circuit controlling deviceoperated by a vehicle entering the block, another circuit controlling device operated by a vehicle enteringthe block in the opposite direction, ast named circuit controlling device acting to fullycomplete the circuits to the contact strips, electromagnetic braking and controlling means on the vehicles, circuit connections therefor, and a contact brush forming part of the 'c'1rcu1t connections and adapted to engage the'contact strips. 9. In an electric safety system, the combination with a pair of. track rails divided into block sections, of a line extending the'length of the block, contact strips located adjacent the rails and having. electric connection-with the line, a circuit controlling device "forcompleting the circuit to said contact strips, said circuit controlling device operated by a vehicle enteringthe block, another circuit controlling. device operated by a vehicle'ente'ring the block in the opposite direction, said circuit controllin device acting to fully cor-nplete the circuits to. the contact strips, elec tromagnetic braking and alarming means on the vehicles, circuit connections therefor,a contact brush forming art 'of the circuit connectionsand ada te to en age the contact stri s, a pair 0 tripping evers one at each en of the blockand controlled by the.

vehicle-in its exit therefrom, and means con-- trolled by said tripping levers forireleasing the circuit com leting means of the electromagnetic and a arming-means.

In testimony whereof we afli'x our signa- HERBERT .D-. .WILLIAMS.. MARCUS LEONARD. Witnesses: 1

DAVID QUAKENBUSH, Jason MURRAY. 

